Free Republic

Jim Nabors, who gave popular culture its most enduring image of a wide-eyed, good-natured if none too bright hayseed in a character whose very name – Gomer Pyle – would become synonymous with lovable rube, died Thursday in Hawaii. He was 87. Nabors’ husband, Stan Cadwallader... With catchphrases “Shazam!” and “Gollllly!” (the latter drawn out to four or five lilting syllables), Nabors debuted his downhome, gas station attendant character in 1962 on The Andy Griffith Show, where the slow-going, dim-witted Gomer was a constant irritation to Don Knotts’ officious, high-strung Deputy Barney Fife. The Gomer character, and Nabors’ odd-couple chemistry...

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), who is embroiled in a sexual misconduct scandal, is hospitalized in his home state due to stress, according to two local reports on Thursday. "I just spoke with Monica Conyers on the phone and we want you to know that the congressman is resting comfortably in an area hospital. He's doing OK, as well as he can be expected for a gentleman that's approaching 90 years of age," Sam Riddle, a Conyers consultant, told WDIV TV. "The congressman's health is not what it should be and lot of that is directly attributable to this media assault."

In the end this may have been the only compromise available to Pelosi. She couldn’t force him to resign and his allies in the House may have resented any attempt to make him do so, knowing that it would have appeared as though he was stepping down in disgrace. Which, ah, he would have been.So Conyers gets to finish out his two years, leaving on “his own terms” replete with plenty of pomp and circumstance in the House about his glorious legacy, and then he’s gone. And in the meantime Democrats get to cross their fingers and hope that there...

President Donald Trump expects to nominate a total of four Supreme Court justices, claiming that three seats will likely become vacant during his first term, anonymous sources told Mike Allen of Axios. Trump expects to fill the seats of Justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and Sonia Sotomayor in addition to nominating Neil Gorsuch, who Trump nominated to fill former Justice Antonin Scalia’s seat earlier this year. Scalia died in 2016, well before Trump took office.

The Mississippi senator has been recovering the past several weeks from a urological procedure. And concern is growing on and off Capitol Hill over whether the 79-year-old lawmaker will return to work on Monday when the Senate comes back from recess — not to mention how long he'll be able to continue leading a high-profile committee or even remain in the Senate. Multiple sources close to the senator said his staff and allies have received limited information from his family about his health status, further fueling questions about his future. Cochran's office maintains that the Mississippi Republican will return next...

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) officially declared her intention to run for reelection Monday, ending months of speculation about her future and probably avoiding what would have been an intense scramble of Golden State politics to succeed her. “I am running for reelection to the Senate. Lots more to do: ending gun violence, combating climate change, access to healthcare. I’m all in!” Feinstein tweeted. On Sunday, Feinstein hinted in a national television interview that she was likely to run again, telling NBC’s “Meet the Press” that she was close to a formal decision. Feinstein, 84, is California’s senior senator and the...

Approximately one in five Americans are over the age of 65, and that number is quickly growing. As baby boomers reach retirement, many decide to make the move from a primary care physician to a geriatrician – primary care doctors who have special training in offering health care to seniors. The health care needs of people change as they age, and many begin to experience new medical conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, renal failure, or heart disease. Some inevitable signs of aging take place over time, such as a slower metabolism, and lead to a decline in physical activity. Some...

WASHINGTON (AP) - U.S. Sen. John McCain says doctors have given him a "very poor prognosis" as he battles brain cancer. McCain underwent surgery in July for a brain tumor that was later found to be a form of glioblastoma, the same type of cancer that took the life of his former Senate colleague Edward M. Kennedy in 2009. McCain tells CBS' "60 Minutes" in an interview that aired Sunday night that he thinks about Kennedy a lot. He says Kennedy continued to work despite the diagnosis and "never gave up because he loved the engagement."

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said that America is still committed to traditional alliances and values, despite doubts that have emerged due to the "actions and statements of our president." McCain said in remarks Saturday at the Ambrosetti Forum, a major economic and policy conference, that he realizes that he comes to Italy "at a time when many are questioning whether America is still committed to remaining engaged in the world, to upholding our traditional alliances and standing up for the values we share." Resilience Ep 26 | Rosy and Donna Khalife, Co-Founders Surprise Ride Watch Full Screen "It is true...

Half a century after they simmered with youthful sexuality in "Barefoot in the Park", screen legends Jane Fonda and Robert Redford have teamed up again in a tale of love and sex in later life. "He's a great kisser so it was fun to kiss him in my 20s and it was fun to kiss him against at almost 80," Fonda said Friday of her famously handsome co-star in "Our Souls at Night." The Netflix production had its premiere Friday at the Venice film festival, where the veteran stars were to be presented later with Golden Lions in recognition of...

‘It is no longer unusual for us to live to be as old as 80, 90 and 100 years or more’WASHINGTON, DC – Reports of physical and financial abuse of the elderly are on the rise throughout the country. It’s a crime that, experts say, is largely under-reported. But, a new light needs to be shed on this dirty little secret, says Dan Weber, president of the Association of Mature American Citizens [AMAC].“Older Americans are easy targets in most cases. Many of them depend on caregivers for survival and that makes them beholden and vulnerable. It also can make them...

Older Americans own half of the houses in the market. Many are simply refusing to sell and others have adult “kids” moving back in since they can’t afford a place to rent or buy. It is a Catch 22 and many people are looking at countries like Italy where the number of adults that live at home is enormous. Multi-generational families just don’t coincide with the “rugged American” worldview where you go out on your own and you make it with your own two hands. Of course, many house humpers had mom and dad chip in but that doesn’t make...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/14/dying-together-deepest-wish-couple-91-die-rare-double-euthanasia/ An elderly couple died holding hands surrounded by loved ones in a rare double euthanasia....“ ...“The geriatrician determined that our mother was still mentally competent. However, if our father were to die, she could become completely disoriented, ending up in a nursing home.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) on Wednesday said he stands with transgender individuals from his state in a tweet following President Trump’s announcement that he will ban all transgender persons from serving in the United States military.

Fellow FREEPers, I am NOT trying to be morbid or tactless, but given the recent development with Senator McCain, I want to RESPECTFULLY ask the question. We recall how, on national TV, Obama told a woman whose mother had a terminal condition that might be treated she would probably get a painkiller: http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/21/video-let-them-eat-painkillers/ So, with this fresh sad case in mind, does any enterprising REAL NEWS people to find out how OBAMACARE treats someone with Senator McCain's sickness.

Ex-president Jimmy Carter was rushed to a Canadian hospital Thursday for dehydration as he was building a new Habitat for Humanity house in Winnipeg, according to a Canadian news network. Carter, 92, was working on the home when he “collapsed,” a volunteer told CBC News. Paramedics and firefighters rushed to help him and an ambulance took him to a hospital. “President Carter has been working hard all week. He was dehydrated working in the hot sun and has been taken offsite for observation. He encourages everyone to stay hydrated and keep building,” a statement from the Carter Center said.

Former Vice President Joe Biden tops a list of prospective Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential race in a new survey. Seventy-four percent of Democrats in the Morning Consult/Politico poll out Monday view Biden favorably. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), with a favorable rating from 51 percent of Democrats, follows Biden in second place. [Snip] Other contenders in the new poll included Democratic Sens. Al Franken (Minn.), Cory Booker (N.J.) and Kamala Harris (Calif.).

Norma Evanston is an 88-year old widow who had remained healthy until two years ago, when she suffered a fall. Since her children live out of state, the family made several long-distance calls and ultimately, hired a local caregiver. However, several months later, after a concerning phone call, the family realized that the caregiver was not providing the professional care they expected. Despite the fact that the caregiver was hired from a “reputable” company, Norma’s doctor reported that Norma had suspicious bedsores and had missed a scheduled appointment. Fortunately, the family was able to make alternate arrangements to ensure that...

Yesterday a video of a Manchester, New Hampshire Committee meeting was posted to YouTube. The meeting took place on May 24th but there was extremely disturbing and interesting commentary made by a Manchester Alderman. Apparently, the topic was property taxes and tax credits for the elderly. The meeting was a Joint Committee Meeting on Education. Education being the largest chunk of expense for any property taxes. -snip "I’ve got an 85 year old woman that lives across the street, and, and she won’t give up her house, she’s sitting on $350,000 dollars and she can’t afford it anymore and you’re saying (pointing to...

My wonderful step-father (WW2 Vet) is experiencing delusions. He has Macular Dejeneration and Dementia. Noticed, today, he thinks people are "in the household ". Very agitated. Talked to many "people" in the room.